Angela Merkel in Amsterdam - Ex-Chancellor cruises through the old town and becomes a knight

Created: 07/13/2022Updated: 07/13/2022 10:56 p.m

Angela Merkel (front l), former German Chancellor, comes by boat to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.

© Piroschka Van De Wouw/dpa

Angela Merkel is currently in Amsterdam.

The ex-Chancellor is here on a belated farewell visit including an accolade.

Amsterdam - With her trip to Italy, Angela Merkel had fulfilled a great wish.

It was her start into the period after the chancellorship.

She reported back with a brilliant TV interview.

But then it got quiet.

Now there is information again about what the former chancellor is doing right now.

Angela Merkel in Amsterdam - Rutte appoints her a knight

With an informal visit to Amsterdam, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has now officially said goodbye to Angela Merkel as Chancellor.

They visited the Anne Frank House, the famous Rijksmuseum with Rembrandt's painting "The Night Watch" and cruised along the Amsterdam canals on Wednesday, reports the ANP news agency.

Angela Merkel, former German Chancellor, and Mark Rutte (l), Prime Minister of the Netherlands, come by boat to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.

© Piroschka Van De Wouw/dpa

According to the report, Rutte had a special surprise for the former Chancellor on the boat.

He decorated her with a high royal order.

Merkel was appointed "Knight Grootkruis in the Order of the Dutch Lion", as reported by ANP.

This honor is rarely given.

Merkel in Amsterdam: Corona prevented an earlier visit

The private visit ended with dinner.

The Amsterdam program had previously been coordinated by both sides, said a spokesman for Rutte.

Merkel has not been in office since December, but the farewell visit was repeatedly postponed due to the corona pandemic.

Rutte had worked very closely with Merkel since he became head of government in neighboring Germany in 2010.